For full figured shapely women, there may not be a more essential wardrobe item than the right bra. Worn on a daily basis, it is the most hard-working garment of all, lifting, supporting our and helping us to feel confident to face the world each day.
Your bra can also be your worst enemy if you don’t buy the correct one for your body. There is a fabulous choice available in bra styles and choices, even within the same band and cup size. So, expect it to take some time in the fitting rooms to pick out the perfect bra.
Get Professional Help
Sagging straps, loose band, cups too tight and overflowing – it’s so easy to go wrong. If you have never been fitted professionally, now is the time.
If you have been fitted, but your weight has changed in the last year, guess what? Your cup and band sizes have fluctuated and you need to be fitted again!
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I like the website BustyBlues.com – where the tagline is “and to think that people actually pay to get DDs!”. BustyBlues has good advice on plus size bras and plus size swimsuits. My favorite page is her recommendations on budget priced plus size bras. Here’s an excerpt…
Up until now, I was just happy to find a bra that fit well and made my clothes look good on me. However, all of my favorite large cup bras are well over $50 a piece, and worth every penny, I might add. So are there any budget plus size bras, bras under $35 that can stack up to my favorites that cost nearly twice as much? I explored this recently after a trip to Lane Bryant where I found two bras that were comparable in style to a couple of my favorite bras, plus a plus size convertible pushup bra!
I came across a good discussion on plus size bras over at 3FatChicks.com. One writer shared these tips, which I thought were particularly useful:
One thing I learned when I worked at Lane Bryant and fit women for bras was that the underwire should lay flat against your chest the whole way. Most women (even the ones who worked there) were wearing too small of a cup size and the wires would stick out between their breasts or at the arm pits. Not good! We practiced measuring each other and almost always came out with a smaller band and larger cup than what we were wearing (which seemed to be the trend on the Oprah show too).
It’s always better to be measured by someone else. For some reason, we aren’t reliable when we measure ourselves. I’m not sure about the whole “adding inches” thing either. Some places say add 3-4, some say add 5. If I follow the rule for 5, I end up in a 42 B. There’s absolutely NO WAY. These things are not a B. I seem to have better luck with the add 3 or 4 rule. In any case, I just have to try them on. Every brand is different, and sizes even differ within brands.
I was recently shopping for a longline shaper thing to try on with wedding dresses and I was so angry. I picked up a 40 C in a bra and in a shaper from the same brand of similar design. The bra fit and I couldn’t even HOPE to fasten the shaper. What the heck? Sometimes things are labeled wrong… but… And of course you’re hard pressed to find a 40 in a normal store. There was only 1.
This is the newest version of the Enell sports bra. The Enell ‘Lite’ is designed to fit and flatter your shape, and is not as “heavy duty” as the regular Enell sports bra. Firm control and great support in a light, comfortable fabric. It features stay-put racer back straps and moisture-wicking technology that helps keep you dry.
* stretch nylon
* full coverage neckline
* criss-cross back provides back support
* moisture-wicking, keeps you feeling cool and dry
* reinforced seams and inner slings form cup area
* close-set straps won’t fall off shoulders
* comfortable wide straps for motion control
* non-adjustable hook and eye front closure
* perfect for light activities
If you’ve ever had the problem of just too much cleavage showing, check out this cool new accessory: tiny stones that you pin on your blouse to minimize cleavage. They’re called “Bosom Buttons™” and are handmade with quality stones.
Easy to use, you simply pierce the button through your clothing and fasten with clutch at back. Bosom Buttons™ are also handy to keep a scarf or shawl in place. See the whole selection of Bosom Buttons™ here.
Here are two beautiful tops from Curvety.com that are especially flattering on curvy body types.
The top at left is a dazzling electric blue in a body skimming style. We saw this electric blue big-time during the holiday season, and it remains strong. The easy swing style is flattering on all figure types, and if you can get away with slipping your bra-straps down a little you can show off beautiful shoulders.
But there are no bra-strap concerns with the soft pink blouse pictured at right. The gentle tie-dye effect is garnished with ever popular paisley print; and bra friendly straps add a fun and comfortable touch to the ¾ split sleeves that are finished with a band.
I was extolling the virtues of sports bras (yes, plural… I wear both the Activa Zip Front and the Enell) to a friend the other day. I said I don’t care if they give me the “uni-boob” look – I love the comfort and support.
She looked skeptical, saying that she’d heard that tight fitting sports bras can harm your respiratory tract.
Hmmm…that didn’t sound good. I did some research and found out that in 2005 the American College of Sports Medicine’s scholarly journal published an article on just this issue – the threat of sports bras on respiratory function.
The study determined that the sports bra “imparted significantly more pressure on smaller breasted females’ torsos when compared with the fashion brassiere, although this increased pressure did not appear to significantly affect measured lung volumes or brassiere comfort scores. They concluded that wearing a sports bra during does not harm your respiratory tract. In fact, their research indicates that wearing a sports bra during activity is beneficial to reduce breast motion and its related pain.
For full figured shapely women, there may not be a more essential wardrobe item than the right bra. Worn on a daily basis, it is the most hard-working garment of all, lifting, supporting our and helping us to feel confident to face the world each day.
